Aerith's story
by Suzume214
Summary: This is just the back story of my fan made Guardian/spirit Aerith. The story of how she came to be, and just how determined she is to find her place in the changing world.(Short story/one shot)


I never thought that my life would change so much, especially the century I was born in. I never thought it would be possible, but I guess the phrase 'Nothings ever impossible' is very true. I didn't think anyone would believe me in the first place, maybe that's why for so long I've kept quiet. But..now I feel it's time for me to share my story, a story that I still don't fully believe in myself.

The sun hung low in the sky as the day started to pass on from day to night. Air holding the faint chill of fall coming closer ever day bringing the warm summer days to end. Even though I enjoy the call evening of fall, today it seemed to make me feel sad. I sat there a bit longer, watching the sun sink lower and lower. The wind pushed my red bangs out of my eyes, tickled my face but slightly stung my eyes.

"Aerith, supper will be ready soon." My older sister announced to me, but I didn't move. Not even when she sat next to me. "Pretty is it not?"

I shrugged in response, not in the mood for idle chatter with my older sister. She let out a long sigh then started to mess with my long red pony tail of hair.

"Mother is right, your hair is like many sun sets." She told me, I felt my jaw tighten. I thought of earlier when my mother and I argued about my future. I wasn't even sixteen yet and she was already trying to get me or some else to marry me. I also thought it was pointless, but then again we never quiet saw eye to eye. As painful as it was for her to admit that.

"Mother told me where you were." Lena finally said her voice filled with concern. "Oh come now little sister, Mother only wants what's best for you. No more no less, why is it-"

"It is my life, and my choice. I do not want to be married to anyone, not for a long while, I want my freedom to last." I interrupted her coldly glaring at her. I always envied my sister long dark curls and pale green eyes. She always looked more like mother then I did. Apparently I looked more like my uncle.

"Aerith." Her voice was stern but kind. "You will not always look this way, everyone loses their looks eventually. Just please reason with mother, just once please. For father, when he comes back he would want to come back to three behaving children, not two." I placed my pale blue eyes on her and narrowed them.

"..Please." She pleaded with a voice of silk.

"….Fine..Just tonight when father returns," I huffed looking away from her. My face burned with frustration and loss of my pride.

"Oh thank you!" Lena cheered giving me a hug." Now, it is best that you go get dressed for his return. "And off she want back inside. I sat there a bit longer before sliding out of the chair and heading inside myself.

Inside everyone was preparing for my father return from his long trip. Even young Luke who was running around the place causing havoc. I smiled at him, even when he ran right into me. I knelt in front of him poking his pale freckled nose.

"Well then, shouldn't you be helping not causing more issues?" I asked smiling brightly at the young boy.

"I cannot help it, it's a little amusing to see everyone running around like maniacs for once." Luke chuckled. I laughed myself and ruffled his reddish black hair.

"Okayy, but just don not let mother catch you in the act." I told him then shooed him off. I knew I made a promise to Lena, but she didn't say I had to be nice to her before or after. It was a cold conniving plan. After that little sudden burst of joy I went to my room to change.

On my bed sat a was a blood red, black and white dress with long flowing sleeves and a ruffled collar. I walked over to it and held it up, watching the end of it fall gracefully to the floor. The dress slightly puffed out, and the bottom half was partly covering three rows of fake brightly painted red flowers and golden charms. As I studied it I heard the door open slightly, and stopped.

"A gift, from your father and myself." My mother spoke calmly.

"It's nice." I said my voice hard and emotionless.

"We thought it was appropriate for the occasion, your younger brother and older sister have also have received a gift for this." She told me but all I could imagine was little Luke protesting wearing a floor length ball gown.

"I hope Luke isn't wearing a gown too. "I snickered, her eyes hardened into a glare.

"Aerith, do not start with me, your father will return soon enough." She said in an irritated tone. "Get dressed then we will talk." With that she left my room, closing the door behind her. I glared at the door before snatching the dress back up and going to change. Getting into the dress was especially difficult not to mention for the first few seconds I couldn't breathe. My head was spinning in that times, making me sit down on my bed.

"Well, I'm certainly not bending in this thing." I muttered to myself, wincing when I tired to slump against my headboard. Someone knocked on my door, but I didn't move.

"You can come in." I said in gasp.

"Well look at you." It was Lena. She let her self in and possibly skipped over to my bed. I couldn't be sure since her dress hiding her leg movements and then jumped into my bed. Again I winced. She looked at me with a wide bright smile.

"That dress, it fits you perfectly, and you look down right stunning." She complemented me, all I could mange was a tight smile.

"Though you really should do something with your hair." She said obviously studying me, she put a finger up to her mouth in deep thought. Quickly she hopped off my bed and clapped her hands together. "Come on Aerith, I am going to fix your hair."

I didn't move an inch. I was stuck. The dress had turned me into a statue of crimson black, white, and golden, paint. Lena came back into my room with her head titled slightly.

"Why are you still there come on." Lena said frowning a little bit. "Unless you are stuck." Lena let out a small lady like giggle before walking over to me. Her slender hands took a hold of mine and heaved me to my feet with a small tap. As soon as my dress fell to the marble flooring adding up the weight of the dress. Slowly I walked over to her, trying to figure out she could skip around in a dress that suffocates you and weighs a ton or two.

As soon as I got over to her she pulled my tangled excuse of a ponytail down. I felt my hair fall down in waves, stopped at the back of my shins. I shot a cold glare at my older sister who messed with my long tangled red hair, but paid no attention to my cold glares. She had grown a immunity to them. Suddenly she dropped my hair and walked over to my chair and pointed at it.

"Come sit, sit." Lena demanded sweetly. "We are running out of time."

I let out a miserable sigh and stumbled over to her. She caught me with the pure grace that I didn't have and then sat me in the chair. I watched her pick up her dress slightly and run over to the nearest brush. Just as quickly she ran over to me and started to brush my long red hair. The brush slid through my hair with ease and soon she was down brushing my hair. She pulled my bangs back and clipped then into to place with something.

"Andd, perfection, you are done. " Lena smiled lifting me up out of my seat.

"Now come on. Everyone must be waiting for us and father." Lena said cheerfully pulling me out of my room. I didn't protest I let her drag me around like a life sized doll. I stopped her when I could smell smoke. I thought for a second that maybe the kitchen accidently burned something? But I threw that idea out of my head when I head a cry of help.

Even thought I was younger by six years, I pushed Lena back behind me and ran forward as quickly as I could.

"S-stop." Lena whispered grabbing my pale wrist and pointed to the red out door knob. We both heard a cry of help came from inside.

"Use this." Lena told me handing her handkerchief to me, I took it gently and gave her a kind smile. Quickly I wrapped it around the door knob and flung it open. Fire was everywhere. It had engulfed most of the curtains, table chairs, everything! The flames jumped at us looking for anything else to devour.

Again I heard the cry and looked around the room hoping to find someone. And found Luke, he stood on something in a corner trapped. Instinct or pure stupidity kicked in as I leapt over the flames on to a remote untouched area.

"Aerith!" Lena suddenly shrieked I looked back at her with a gentle smile.

"Trust me Lena. Just this once, trust me" I told her then looked back at Luke. Stepping as close as I could get to him I stopped and extended my arms. Quickly I had to recoil before my sleeve went a blaze, I had to find a way to keep them back. Instead I ripped the fine fabric of my sleeves and discarded it into the flames. Again I extended my arms towards him.

"Luke, I need you to jump! "I called to him over the intense roar of the fire. He just shook his head and huddled into a tight ball after crying no.

"Luke have I ever lied to you, you know I'll catch you." I told him in a soothing voice. His teary blue eyes looked over at me again.

"What about the man in the moon, you said he would protect us. This doesn't seem like protection to me." Luke cried out. His words hurt me, but I knew he was just scared and confused. Just like myself.

"The Man in the moon will always watch over us, as long as you believe in him you will be fine. I promise." I told him, that motivated him to move right across from me then he stopped again. I frowned.

"Aerith, I'm sacred. Are you sure he won't let us get hurt?" He asked, he didn't believe him, or me. That put a dent in my heart. I gave him a weak shaky smile before a coughing fit hit me. It made my lungs burn even more then before still I put on a strong appearance. That's when I got an idea, when I looked back into Luke's eyes.

"I need you to believe in the man in the moon..an-and me. Neither of us will let you get hurt, I know this. And we both promise this much! I promise." I called out to him tears filling my eyes. That second time seemed to slow down as Luke finally found the courage to jump across the flames right into my arms.

Tears streamed my cheeks out of pure relief.

"Come on you two, we have to get out of here. The house is collapsing." Lena shouted. I took a single step and debris crashed right in front of us. I fell back but didn't let go of Luke.

"Oh god." I gasp. Quickly I got back on my feet and to kick, move anything to get it out of our way. I knew it blocked our only close way out of this chaos and separated us from Lena. I heard her trying to but soon her side fell silent too.

"Lena, get out of here, we will get out of here another way." I told her shouting over the fire again. I heard a faint, 'okay but you two get out safely and alive'

I couldn't promise that, but I wasn't about to give up. A single step and I went down going into another coughing fit. This one was worse by long shot, my lungs burned even more begging for oxygen. Once I got back on y feet I heard a faint sizzling and saw blood. I had coughed up blood, and something told me there was more there before the fire burned it up.

Fear bubbled in me, as I strained to hear my brothers breathing. It was shallow, I had to get him out of this place. Well looking around his words from earlier echoed in my head. Would the man in the moon really let this happen? Or was he really nothing more then a myth? I shook my head I didn't have time to thing about things like that. Frantically I searched for a close way out not one that was pretty far away from me.

Thankfully luck was on my side, or the moon was shining it's light on a shatter window. It was reckless and dangerous but what else could I do.

"I going to get you out of this buddy. "I whispered to Luke then studied my surroundings looking for the safest route out of this place. Finally I found a way over to the shatter window, but it was a thin beam form the ceiling. It was the only chance we had.

"God I hate corsets!" I muttered to myself trying to move smoothly. I kicked my heels off and picked my dress up making it slightly easier to move across the board. Fires jumped up burning my arms. I had to stop for a brief second to breathe as well as I could but that was a mistake. The other half o the beam snapped in half flying into the flames.

My mind raced all leaning toward utter terror. What was I going to do? What could I do? We were trapped and possibly going to die painfully slow. I collapsed on the beam crying my eyes out.

"Don't you just need to believe in him." Luke whispered in my ear barely breathing. I stopped, took deep breathes and did the possibly unthinkable in this century. I got up, ran and jumped through a fully intact window. I shielded my little bother and ignored the sound of shatter glass. Finally I met the ground with a hard thud.

I placed Luke on the ground next to me just as Lean found us and ran over. All I could do was look at her with teary eyes.

"What..is is he breathing?" Lena asked her voice rising in pitch.

"Not yet, no." I told her tensing. I tried to get air into him over and over again and just as I was about to give up I looked up at the moon.

_Please, please_. I thought trying to get air into him again. I looked up at Lena when he started to cough, and his bright blue eyes opened. My smile widened I did it! Then I felt so heavy, so tired. But I was so afraid of closing my eyes; I had a feeling that if I did that would be it. Though it didn't seem I had a choice let alone a chance. My eyes slid shut and I fell back. The moon seemed so big in my last moments.

After hours my eyes opened up slowly, and all my pain was gone. All of it, my arms didn't burn nor did my lungs. I sat up slowly wincing at my corset. I looked around and saw my family. They were crying, I couldn't understand why. I ran over to them to comfort them but something else happened. Something that shattered my heart. I went right rough them.

Couldn't they see me, hear feel me?! Was I dead or alive?! All I knew is I had to get out of that place. I jut had to, and ran. That's when I ran into her. Toothina , the tooth fairy she helped me. She watched over me for so long , and comforted me when I needed it. Those days seemed to stretch on and on, never wanting to end.

Though that one day set my mind on one thing.

"Aerith, Aerith!" Tooth called out to me, I spun around to her.

"Oh there you are, have you figure out how to use your abilities yet?" My eyes fell to the ground as I shook my head no."Oh..uh well I'm sure you'll figure it out I just know it."

I gave her a weak grin, she smiled back. Just like my sister she was amazing in personality. Tooth was so confident, and determined always giving me the confidence she knew I needed.

"Are you sure about this Tooth?" I asked still wondering if this was to be my life. Yes I had been living like this, with her as a helper for over a hundred years now. She put a small hand on my shoulder.

"I know it, I know many choice you for a good reason. You just need to be patient, both of us do. Until then I don't mind you being around here. Nor do the girls." Tooth said motioning to the fairies buzzing busily, hard at work as usual.

"Thanks Tooth." I said shaking my head. "I just hope I figure things out soon."

Tooth went to say something when her lavender eyes quickly moved to the sky. I hear a quiet 'oh no' escape her.

"North is calling us, I gotta go. You can go where you want, just stay out of trouble." Tooth told me and went to fly off. But I was quicker and grabbed her arm.

"Us? What do you mean by that." I asked her rising an eye brow in confusion.

"Us, the guardians, we protect the children of the world. The man in the moon choices us to do this jobs. It's hard but an amazing job." Tooth explained, then faced me.

"Maybe one day that will be his reasoning, right now I guess his just waiting for you to find you're self. Your center a North puts it. What you represent, why the children believe in you and why you choice to protect them." She explained.

"That dose sound amazing." I said letting her go. "You go do your job. Well your out I think I'm going to try harder."I told her. I swear I saw a tear in her right before she hugged me.

"You've grown up so much ever since that day. I'm proud of you." She said before flying off.

I decided to leave to practice(or try to), I waved good bye to the little fairies. Even if I would be back I would still miss those little cuties.

With a sigh of the wind I dropped down into a forest. The same forest my house use to sit on the edge of, but now my house was reduced to ruins. However I realized the air felt something strangely sinister to it. The more I looked around the more that feeling grew. Oh how lucky I was that day. Finally I walked right into someone, he was tall gaunt and dressed in nothing but black. His skin was a pale ash gray, his eyes a haunting gold.

"Well well, a little forgotten spirit." He purred walking towards me. I backed away from him, right into a tree. I was trapped in between trees with no way of defending my self from this guy! My heart pounded in my chest despite him being a good distance away. Something about him frightened me, I couldn't figure out why.

"W-who are you?" I managed to stammer. He showed a dark smirk and stepped toward me.

"Pitch Black of course, the boogey man my dear girl." He told me. I was stunned, I thought he was a myth, something that just made me behave when I saw younger.

"T-that's impossi-"

"Impossible?" He chuckled. "If the man in the moon can exist, so can I." Pitch interrupted me, but I knew he had a valid point. He snapped his long spider like fingers, and then flattened it when a pure black sandy horse came up with glowing golden eyes.

"Your fear makes me happy, but you're an obstacle and a guardian cares for you." He mused patting the horses' head. "This is a nightmare."

Nightmare, I practically drilled that name into my head.

"And I will be your end." He said suddenly making a weapon appear. Again my heart sped up but I tired to stay calm. Quickly I searched for anything, my had weakly gripping a stick. A sudden warmth sprung in my hand when I swung it forward pointing it had his neck.

"I don't think so." I hissed, he placed a hand on it. The stick like rod trembled in my hands, I had to be brave.

"Such terror in those blue eyes of yours, oh they give me so much strength. Just like a child." Pitch grinned.

A anger that I hadn't felt in so long boiled in me, and I tighten my jaw. The courage I had that night when I saved my little brother Luke came climbing back. Pitch's grin wavered.

I jabbed the large stick into his side.

"Your wrong Pitch Black, the only fear I see is the fear in your eyes!" I snapped a sudden series of popping and electricity came from the stick. Pitch fell back, only to stagger back up to his feet. I felt exhaustion kick in and feel to my knees. Suddenly the tall man ran off, and I think I saw people chasing him. A few seconds later a bright light came before my eyes slid shut.

Soon I felt a hand shaking my shoulder gently, could it be Tooth. My pale eyes opened to four other figures. I could tell who they were by Tooth's describing her friends to me. From the left, assuming that the large blue rabbit was the Easter Bunny. The man of sand or Sandy, then Santa, or North. And the Tooth fairy flying in front of me.

"Aerith, are you okay?" Tooth asked me moving a peace of my red hair out of my face.

"I-I guess so." I nodded slowly, putting a pale hand to my head.

"Hey Tooth, are there suppose to be flowers around her, and growing?" Bunny asked her tilting his head slightly. I looked up at Tooth, but she wasn't looking at me. She seemed mesmerized by something else. I looked around to see brightly blooming flowers growing around me.

Suddenly I shot up, standing in the middle of it all to stunned for words.

"I told you; oh I knew you'd do it!" Tooth cheered giving me a tight hug. I felt tears fall from her, I just hoped they were happy tears.

"W-why are you crying?" I asked her. She pulled away.

"I'm just so happy, after this time you've finally grown up. "She explained to me. The others started to clap, giving me the impression that this was a pretty big deal. After long hours of them explaining things to me the moon had risen high in the sky. By that time I wanted to get away form all the excitement. It was all so thrilling but I knew there was one thing they weren't telling me, but I didn't want to pressure them.

I walked outside despite the freezing cold and leaned against the railing staring at the large moon. The moon seemed so close that if I extended my hand far enough maybe I could touch it. I knew it was childish idea but it gave me some comfort.

"Thank you." I said to the moon. "I know I have a long way to go until I'm a guardian. But believe me when I say, I will try my hardest. I will protect the children of this world, just like I protected my brother so long ago." I told the moon. Soon a strange warm breeze greeted me, and I saw a faint smile on the moon. I knew it was a sign. A sign that has kept me going since. My name is Aerith, the spirit of spring.


End file.
